Midwest farmers are critical to protecting air and water quality, reducing energy imports and creating jobs by producing renewable energy. The Minnesota Project works with farmers, rural communities and other to ensure the successful transition to farm-based energy. The Minnesota Project works to bring renewable energy projects to farms that:

This educational publication provides up to date information to farmers interested in learning about the challenges, benefits, and opportunities for pursuing an anaerobic digester on the farm. Discussion includes background on the technology, economic and environmental benefits, funding opportunities, and early considerations in project development.

The Minnesota Project partnered with a variety of state, university, and producer entities to facilitate a pilot project to determine the economic viability of a modified digester design, beyond systems that are already commercially viable, such as a covered lagoon, complete mix, and plug flow on a dairy farm in Minnesota. Jerry and Linda Jennissen operate a dairy of 150 cows.

The Minnesota Project partnered with Haubenschild Dairy Farm to study the effects from the operation of an on-farm anaerobic digester. Final results from a four-year education and evaluation project are now available.

In 2003, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture secured grant funds through the Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCMR) from the Natural Resources Trust Fund to investigate the utilization of manure methane technologies through the use of alternative generating options.

The Minnesota Project is beginning work on the next phase of studying anaerobic digester technology, appropriate digester systems for Minnesota's average dairy farm size. 96% of Minnesota's dairy farms have 200 cows or less. However, current anaerobic digester technologies are only economically feasible for dairy farms that have 300 cows or more. The Minnesota Project is beginning work on studying appropriate digester models for Minnesota's average dairy farm.